थामा मूवी रिव्यूः हॉरर यूनिवर्स की सबसे कमजोर कड़ी: दिवाली पर उम्मीदों का फुस्स धमाका साबित हुई आयुष्मान-रश्मिका की यह फीकी और भटकी हुई फिल्म

The big-budget horror-comedy was expected to take over the universe on the occasion of Diwali, but the film gave a huge setback to that hope. This new offering from Maddock Films was a mix of fear, romance and myth, but when the curtain rose, all we got was a tired, vague story, in which the script, acting and technical aspects all seemed to be in conflict. In this 149 minute film, there is no thrill and no fun, only incompleteness.

How is the story of the film?

Maddock Universe’s new offering ‘Thamaa’ tries to expand a genre that is a confluence of fear, myth and entertainment. But this effort soon becomes complicated. The story begins in the middle of the forest with an ancient legend of “Betals” who do not drink human blood. But their king Yakshasan (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) wants to break this rule.

On the other hand, Alok Goyal (Ayushmann Khurrana) is a failed small-town journalist who bumps into Tadka (Rashmika Mandanna) while escaping from a bear attack in the forest. Tadka is a beautiful but mysterious betelany. The story starts wandering from here. The jungle scenes seem long, dull and without any thrill.

Alok and Tadka’s relationship drags on out of compulsion. When the two return to the city, the film turns into a comedy and a family drama. Paresh Rawal brings some initial humor as the father, but his humor feels forced. As the story progresses, neither romance nor the horror effect lasts.

How is the acting?

Ayushmann Khurrana is once again playing the role of a common man, but this time the script does not support him. He is honest in some scenes, but the direction of the character is unclear. Rashmika Mandanna has tried, but her performance is overdramatic and unstable. There is no chemistry between the two at all.

Even a powerful actor like Nawazuddin Siddiqui has been reduced to a “screaming villain”. His character neither scares nor impresses. Paresh Rawal’s dialogues like “Kya khana barashingha hai?” Only gives a chance to laugh, does not leave any impact.

How is the direction of the film?

Aditya Sarpotdar’s direction disappoints this time. After projects like ‘Munjya’ and ‘Bhediya’, it was expected that ‘Thama’ horror universe would get a new direction, but the treatment of the film is scattered. The first half hour is weak and slow, while the second half feels incoherent and disorganized.

The level of visual effects looks like a TV serial in many places. The jungle sequences appear to be fake. The background music returns to the refrain of “Thama Thaama” again and again, which eventually becomes jarring. The action sequences seem dull and have a B-grade tone.

How is the music of the film? On the music front the film is completely ordinary. The song “Tum Mile” provides some relief, but the rest of the songs, especially “Poison Baby” slow down the pace of the film. The background score creates more noise, not impact.

weak link in the story

The plot takes many directions, horror, romance, myth, universe connections, but none of them become mature. Where ‘Stree’ captivated with mystery and ‘Wolf’ entertained, ‘Thama’ neither scares nor touches, it just tires.

Flaws and goodness of the film

The good thing about the film is that it has interesting hints of the cinematic universe in some parts. Two-three dialogues of Paresh Rawal bring a slight smile. Talking about shortcomings, the script is meandering and overlong. The acting is unbalanced and artificial. The visual effects and editing are weak. The music and background score is disturbing.

Final Verdict: Watch the movie or not?

‘Thaama’ was pitched as a sequel to the Maddock universe, but it collapses under its own weight. No fear, no fun, no emotion, just boredom and confusion. Watching this on Diwali, you might say, “This was not a horror, it was a laughable nightmare.”